Figure toy



E. L. HEWITT Dec. 20,1932.

FIGURE TOY Filed March 5, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 20, 1932. E. L. HEWITT 1,891,816

FIGURE TOY Filed March 5, 1952 s sheets-sheet 2 Dec. 20, 1932. E, L; H W 1,891,816

' FIGURE TOY Filed March 5, i952 asneets-shet 5 Patented Dec. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES :P'ATEN 0FF1E ELMER L. HEWITT, OF CHURCHVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ALL FAIR INCORPO-- I RATED, OF CHUR-CHVILLE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FIGURE 'roY Application filed March 5, 1932. Serial-No. 597,030.

This invention relates to figure toys, and one object of the invention is to provide a toy particularly designed to simulate the body actions of a cat or other animal in action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy simulating a cat and'particularly the movements of the back or body of the cat and in which means is provided to emit sounds characteristic of a living cat.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a figure toy constructed and arranged to simulate a living thing in action and to emit sounds, noises or voices of the living thing which the toy simulates and in which the parts are few, resulting in simplicity and economy in the production ofthe toy.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood'that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction,

within the scope of the claims, may be resortsurface, and the body sections being in position when moved downwardly on their pivotal connection as distinguished from the position of the legs asshown in Fig. 1 wherein the body sections are not moved down wardly on their pivotal connection.

Fig. 4 is a front elevationof the invention. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary'detail horizontal sectional view showing the joint or pivotal Connection between the body sections of the toy.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modified form toy.

of the invention, the modification going particularly to the mounting of the tail of the Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the form of invention shown in Fig.7 with their pivotal connection.

- Referring now more particularly totheacoompanying drawings, there is illustrated a body composed of front and rear body sections 1 and 2, respectively, pivotally connected at substantially midwayeofthe length of.

the body, as at 3, so as tohave relative movement,;the movement being a rocking or up and down movement of the body sections on thick member 6, secured between said side' members in any suitable manner, as for instance, by means of tacks 7 Ears 8 may be secured to the head by-means of tacks 9 or any other suitable manner. If desired, the head, adjacent the mouth of the toy may be provided with theusual cat whiskers 10, but

these may be eliminated if desired.

The side members 5 of the frontbody section and the head maybe of any suitable material. In any event, they extend below the inter mediate member 6 and slightly rearwardly of the latter so as to form a chamber 10,

within the front body portion and to provide overlapping parts 5' within or between which theinner end of the rear body section fits loosely and pivoted by means of the aforesaid pivot 3 passing through the rearwardly extending parts 5' of the side members 5 and the inner upper part of the rear body section. I i The rear body section 2 has a recess 11 which opens through the lower portion of the body section and through both'ends thereof. The inner end of the rear body section is formed upon a slight incline and the front corners of the sides of said recessll are rounded to provide spaced shoulders 12 of substantially cam shaped formation.

A tail 13 projects from the rear bodysection 2, the tail having a reduced inner end 14 '55 the body members moved downwardly on which extends into the outer end of said recess 11 and pivoted therein by means of a suitable pivot 15.

A pair of front legs 16 are rigidly connected to the front body section 1 and an axle 17 is journaled in the lower ends of the front legs and carries traction wheels 18. The axle 17 is provided with a crank bend 19 intermediate its ends to which crank bend is pivotally connected one end of a link 20 which extends upwardly into and is concealed within the recess 11 of the rear body section and mounted therein on a pivot 21. This link 20 has an extension 20 which extends beyond the pivot 21 and into a bifurcation 22 formed in the inner end 14 of the tail 13 and which is pivoted therein by means of a suitable pivot 23, passing through slot 23 in the link extension 20, effecting a positive connection between the link 20 and the tail 13.

A pair of rear legs 2 1 are rigidly secured to the rear body section 2. An axle 25 connects the legs21 and on this axle 25 on which Wheels 26 are mounted, the axle 25 being iournaled in the lower ends of the legs 24:.

j The front legs 16 and the rear legs 2 1 may be connected with the front and rear body sections 1 and 2 respectively, in any suitable manner, but they are preferably rigidly secured'to the respective sections bymeans of j suitable fastenings 27 By reason of the link connection between the front axle and the rear body section 2 and with the tail 13, it will be seen that as the toy is moved along a supporting surface the link 20 is given such action as to effect a rocking movement of the body sections 1 and 2, or in other words, give to said body sections a relative up and down movement and at the same time, posltively actuate the tail- 13. In other words, the body sections 1 and 2 are caused to be continuously moved up and down on then connecting pivot 3 as the toy is moved along a supporting surface with the tail of the toy moving back and forth on its aforesaid pivot, thereby simulating peculiarties of actions of the'figure toy, particularlv a cat, as the toy is moved over the supporting surface. The toy is preferably drawn over the supporting surface, and if desired, a cord 28 may be connected to an eye screw 29 secured in the lower trunk portion of the body as in Fig. 3; or if preferred, there may be provided the common type of cord and link connection with the front crank axle. as indicated at 30 and31, respectively, in-Figs. 1

" and 2.

In Figs. 7-8 there is shown a modified form of the invention as regards the mounting of the tail 13 which has its inner end 14 mounted in a recess 32in the rearbody section 2" and sections of the toy.

32 and at its other end seated in a socket 35 in the inner end 1 1 of the tail 13. Thus the tail 13 is not positively actuated as in the first form described, but has a vibratory movement, incident to its yieldable mounting, as the body sections 1 and 2 rise and fall or move upwardly and downwardly under the influence of the link connection 20 with the crank bend 19 of the front axle 17. and the pivotal connection 21" of the link 20 with the rear body section 2. Both forms of the invention are the same, except for the mounting of the tails of the two forms of figure toy. However, since the tail 13 is given vibration and moves backwardly andforwardly on its spring mounting 13 when the body section 2' moves upwardly and downwardly,

the tail 13' is operated under the influence of the movements of the body of the toy.

In both forms of the invention there is embellows 36 having a plate 37 at its inner end glued or in any other suitable manner secured to the top wall of the aforesaid chamber 10 whereby the sound producing device is suspended within said' chamber 10. A plate 38- at the opposite end of the bellows is unattached to thetoy and movable and located for engagement by the aforesaid shoulders or cams 12 of the rear body section 2 or 2, as the case may be, when the body sections move downwardly on their pivotal connection 3-3 to collapse the bellows. As the body sections move upwardly on their pivot 3-3 the shoulders or cam surfaces 1212 of the rear body section move away from the movable end plate 38'38' of the bellows 3636 and a soundis emitted through the reed 39 or 39 of the respective sound producing devices and this sound which is emitted is characteristic, in the present instance, of the meow of a-catL Considering either form of the invention, it will be understood from the foregoing that either toy may be drawn or moved over a supporting surface by either of the pull cords or strings hereinbefore described, and that in' such movement of either toy the back of the body is humped as the front and rear sections thereof move downwardly on the pivot connection between them, and that in either form of the invention. the tail has movement in accordance with the movements of the body It will also be understood thatin both forms of the toy there is arranged a sound producing device, but it will be understood that in certain aspects of the invention the sound producing device may be eliminated, and for protection covering the use of or the elimination of the sound producing device, the appended claims will be relied upon. It 'willalso be underbut as shown, consists of a spring controlled at the middle to form two relatively movable sections, both sections being pivoted together at the top of the body, with a sound pro-' ducing device including a bellows mounted on one section below the plane of the pivot and arranged to be directly engaged by the other section to compress the bellows when the sections swing inwardly on their pivot. It will also be noted that the bellows is carried below the plane of the head and that the rear secltion of the toy is provided with a movable tai It will also be understood that as the front and rear body sections of either toy move up and down that the supporting means including the legs and wheels of the legs move toward and away from each other. It will also be appreciated that the line of demarkation between the head and the front body section of the toy is indicated by the curved line a and that in the manufacture of the invention the toy is ornamented in any suitable manner as by lithograph or other paper or painting of the toy. especially the body, head and back. The legsrand wheels may be painted or otherwise colored, as may also the tail, if desired, and when the body sections are painted or covered with lithograph or other paper the separation between the head and front body section may be well indicated by a ribbon or in any other suitable manner. tics of the toy with regard to the lithograph papering or painting or other ornamentation is immaterial and need not be illustrated and described in detail herein. What is claimed is:

1. A toy comprising a body composed offront and rear body sections pivotally connected at substantially the central portion of the body so as to have relative movement,

a head carried by the front body section, a

body sections up and down on their pivotal connection and to move the tail on its pivot. 2. A toy comprising a body composed of front and rear body sections pivotally connected at substantially the central portion of the body so as to have relative movement, a head carried by the front body section, a

tail swingingly carried by the rear body sec-- tion, a wheeled supporting means for the 1 body of the toy including a crank axle, a link pivoted at one end to the crank axle and at its other end pivoted to one of the body sections and also having pivotal connection with The ornamental characteristhe tail so as to actuate the body sections up and down on their pivotal connection and to move the tail on its pivot, and a sound producing device carried by one of the body sections and operable by engagement of the inner end of the other body section moving into and out of engagement therewith during said up and down movements of the body sections on their pivot as the toy is moved over a supporting surface.

3. A toy comprising a body composed of front and rear body sections pivotally connected toegther at their inner ends so as to have relative movement, ahead on the front section, a movable tail on the rear section, front andrear pairs of legs rigidly connected to the front and rear body sections to swing with the same, an axle journaled in each pair of legs, the front axle having a crank end, traction wheels carried by the front axle, wheels carried by the rear axle, a link pivotally connected at one end to the crank bend of the front axle and at its opposite end pivoted to the rear. body section and to the tail so as to move the front and rear sections on their pivot vand consequently move the front and rear legs toward and away from each other and thereby create a humping action of the body and a movement of the tail coincident with said'humpingaction as the toy ismoved over a supporting surface.

4. A toy comprising a body composed of front and rear body sections pivotally connected together, a head on the front section, a tail movably carried by the rear section, a wheeled supporting means having rigid connection with the body sections and including a crank axle, and a link pivoted at one end to the crank axle and at its opposite end pivoted to the rear body section and having slotted connection with the tail to move the latter as the link moves the body sections on their pivot when the toy is moved over a supporting surface. I

5. A toy comprising a body composed of front and rear sections pivotally connected together at their inner ends for relative movement with relation to each other, a head on the front section, a tail movably mounted on the rear section for relative movement thereto, and wheeled supporting means having rigid connection with thebody sections and front and rear sections pivotally connected together, a head fixedly carried by the front section, a rigid tail mounted on the rear section for a movement relative to the rearsec:

tion, wheeledsupporting means for the body,

andlconnecting means between the Wheeled supporting'ineans and the body and the tail and opei'a'bleto move the body sections on "their pivot relative toeach other about their pivot and to effect movement of said tail relative to the rear body section.

7. A toy structure simulating a living quadrupedanimal, such as a cat, and which toy comprises a body composed of a front body section and a rear body section pivotally connected bymeansthe pivotal axis of which extends horizontally and transverse-. lythat permits relative swinging movements in vertical planes as between the body sections, wheel supporting means for each body section located at the lower part there- V having on rear body section a member simu-' lating'a tail of the animal, which member tions.

simulating the tail is pivotally mounted on said rear body section so that said member can swing about a pivotal axis that extends transversely and horizontally and which said member is-operatively associated with said link whereby said member is moved under the direct influence of the links relative to said rear body section as the link serves to effect relative movement as between the body sec- 8. A toy structure simulating a living object and which toy comprises a body composed of a front body section and a rear body section pivotally connected by meansthe I pivotal axis of which extends horizontally and transversely-that permits relative swinging movements in vertical planes as between the body sections, wheel supporting means for each body section located at the lower part thereof, one of which wheel sup: porting means includes and operates a crank arm, an operating link having one end connected with the crank arm and the other or body end connected with the body sectionother "than the body section having the wheel supporting means that includes said crank arm, the construction being such that by passing the toy along and in frictional contact with a supporting surface there is effected through the medium of said link the swinging movement of one body section relative to the other body section, said toy having a sound producing device comprising a bellows mounted on one body section below the plane of the pivotal point and arranged so 7 that the other body section effects a compressing of the bellows during the time the body sections are being moved relative to each other, said toy alsolhaving a' member movably mounted on one of the body sections and which said member is operatively associated with the. link whereby as the link functions to effect swinging movement of the body sections relative to each other, the link also functions to move the movable member relative to the body section upon which the movable member is mounted.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set i my hand.

' ELMER L. HEWITT. 

